Lomana LuaLua

Lomana LuaLua

Lomana Trésor LuaLua ( /ləˈmɑːnə ˈtrɛzɔr luːˌɑːluːˈɑː/; born 28 December 1980) is a Congolese footballer who plays for Karabukspor and the Congo DR national team.

LuaLua was born in Kinshasa, but moved to England at a young age. After impressing in a college football match, he signed for Colchester United. There, he scored a total of 21 goals in 68 appearances which prompted Newcastle United to sign him. However, the competition for places meant he was less of a regular in the first team, and after four seasons and 88 appearances, he transferred to Portsmouth, the club that had previously loaned him for three months while at Newcastle. He remained there for three seasons, but his spell was marred by disciplinary problems and malaria. After this, he moved to Greek club Olympiacos and spent a season there, helping them to win their fourth straight Super League Greece title, before joining Al-Arabi in 2008. LuaLua received his first cap in 2002, and has since represented his national team in the 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

LuaLua is also known for setting up the LuaLua Foundation, which provides care for orphans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for being a patron for the Haslar Visitors Group. He has a brother, Kazenga LuaLua, who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, and two cousins who play professional football, Albacete striker Trésor Kandol and Bristol City's Yannick Bolasie. During the 2006 African Cup of Nations, LuaLua's son died of pneumonia and he considered retiring from football after receiving abuse over the internet. However, he continued playing.